I finished the first book, The Shunning, only to feel completely lost and frustrated...surely this was a cruel hoax....it could not be ending, there must be more. I was not disappointed! There WAS more, indeed, in this second book! Wow! For the first time in all my reading days, I found it completely impossible to resist frantically searching through the pages to be sure this or that did, in fact, happen...things just could NOT go on as they were...I could not wait to find out by reading a page at a time...I had to frantically search the pages until I knew... The continuation of the story of Katherine, Laura, her Amish family, Mary, and the wise old woman...and the bishop...and her true love...this story took so many strange turns and curves, it was impossible to second guess the author. Suspense ruled! Bev Lewis never let me wander from the story line....how could I? I practically read the book straight through! It was just glued to my hands and would NOT go down until I was done.
I saw the made for tv movie of the 1st book in this series. I liked it a lot and just HAD to order books 2 and 3 to find out the rest of the story. Katie Lapp is just as endearing here in this 2nd book. You feel for her and just want to help her set things right. Also, I loved how the second book is consistent with the storyline of the first. A very enjoyable read. I couldn't put it down. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that I found myself enveloped by the story and became happy, sad, worried, and angry where necessary. Get it today!
This is the second book in the "Heritage of Lancaster County" trilogy by Beverly Lewis, and it's a good companion to the first book. We find that Katie Lapp is now calling herself Katherine Mayfield since that was her birth name. She has to learn how to make her way in the "fancy" world since she has been shunning from the Amish community and isn't allowed to contact her friends and loved ones. She is determined to find her birth mother and create a new family connection before it's too late (she does know from the last book that her birth mother is dying). However, connecting with her birth mother, Laura Mayfield-Bennett won't be easy since another Katie Lapp has already taken up residence at the Bennett estate. What will Katherine do? Meanwhile, as noted at the end of the first book, Katherine's first love, Daniel is found alive and well and has returned to the Amish community to find her and possibly face his own shunning for his long absence.
This book fits in well with the first book and is a fast, enjoyable read. Yes, it is a bit predictable, but in a "feel-good-by-comforting-yourself-by-eating-a-pint-of-ice-cream-but-minus-all-the-calories" kind of way. It's a great read for one of those days where you just want to escape into something a little simpler.
Katherine Mayfield (aka Katie Lapp) sets out to find her birth mother. Time is short, and there is deception in the Mayfield-Bennett household. Meanwhile, Katie's adoptive family struggles to deal with the reality of Katie's harsh Shunning and her decision to leave the colony.
This is the second book in the trilogy; the first is The Shunning; the third is The Reckoning. I found that this book in the series doesn't stand well on its own; it really helps if you have read the first book.
A little "preachy" and too coincidental in parts, but overall, the series is an entertaining story about Katherine (aka Katie) and her loves, losses, and new life.
This is one of my favorite series by Lewis!
Lisa B. (sheltielover) - 
